Sports Jobs Q&A: Creating a Sports Career Game Plan

As High School graduates prepare for their entry into College, a big part of that personal development is figuring out what the heck to do with the rest of their life.  It's a tough question for most of us, one that deserves deep thought, robust discussion and a serious game plan.  As a personal example, I began college as a Biology and Chemistry  double major - I wanted to go into Physical Therapy and thought this was similar to a Pre-Med plan of attack. Seemed logical, but there was a problem; after a year of school I realized I wasn't happy. I did fine, my grades were in the B+ range, but I couldn't see myself doing this for the rest of my life. The summer after my freshman year at school my mother, sensing I was confused, asked me  a simple question: "What do you really love?" My answer: Sports. Her response: Then figure that out. It wasn't some long, drawn out conversation about "doing anything you want" or "being whoever you want to be" but it gave me clarity. All of a sudden instead of being focused on the entire universe of potential careers, I had narrowed my focus and began to breathe a sign of relief. I didn't have it all figured out, but I had some direction which I desperately needed. The point is, don't try to figure out every last detail of who you want to be right now, just begin with a large focus and use your schooling to find a more intense direction. You may start out in sports management and discover you love sales...or marketing...or analytics. Start with a wide lens and then develop focus. This weeks Sports Jobs Q&A comes to us from a concerned parent, which is always kind of cool. If you have questions for our Sports Jobs Q&A that you'd like me to take a deep dive into, just add it to the comments below and I'll make it my mission to answer you!

The Q:

Hi Brian, I read and listened to your video blog, transcript and comments on Work In Sports re: Mark Cuban's comments on a Sports Management degree. I shared it with my daughter, who is entering East Stroudsburg University (Pennsylvania) this fall as a Sports Management major, with a minor in Business and Marketing. Her initial reaction, thanking me for bursting her bubble, led to a more serious discussion about the pros and cons of her chosen field of study. Was hoping you could weigh-in and offer some advice. Thanks and best regards, Warren Sidosky

The A:

I'd be happy to Warren - and thanks for reading/listening to my video perspective. Many people seem to think I was bashing on Mark Cuban,  but the truth is I just questioned his logic and research - isn't that what this is all about? Questioning others and sharing a differing perspective? Anyway on with the answer. In my experience success isn't tied to the name of the school or the major you graduate with, it's tied to the person and the effort they put into what they do. I strongly believe these should be her three biggest priorities while in school: 1: Do as many internships as she possibly can. Pro teams. College athletics, sports business firms - do it all. If you can't get an internship because of a requirement for credits, volunteer. Is there a PGA Tour event in town? Maybe a college basketball showcase? A niche sporting event? Volunteer! Do anything you can to make yourself unavoidable in the industry while gaining practical experience. People get hired for sports jobs based on experience; not GPA, not the name of your school, not the undergrad group you were on the board of. It's always a simple question for hiring managers: what can this person do to help move our business forward? If a person can't answer that question about themselves they better go back to the drawing board. 2: Network every step of the way. And I don't mean the cheesy mixers, or forced conversations (sorry to all those people who invite me to their cheesy mixers for forced conversations). I mean talk to important people like professors and start building deeper relationships, especially with those who have prior experience in the field she wants to get into. Seek out people on LinkedIn doing what you want to do and reach out to them, ask them questions about how they got where they are. DON'T ask for jobs or be a pest, if you inquire and want to learn that is great, but if you beg or sound desperate for someone to solve your problems - that's a problem. Also always be specific - I can't stand it when people ask "can you give me advice about sports careers?" ---um, that's kind of a wide ranging question! But if someone asked me, "how did you break into the sports industry and does that technique still work today?" I would answer. You should walk out of every internship experience with a growing network of contacts and a follow up plan to make sure you stay in touch while continuing to add value. 3: Start studying job descriptions now. If you want to work in sports marketing find job openings, study what they require out of their candidates and then make a plan to master all of those skills. Skills and experience get people hired - internships cover the experience part, now you need to identify the skills employers want and obtain them. What you can do is your great differentiator. I graduated from the University of Delaware - not exactly Harvard or Syracuse - and was hired by CNN Sports right after graduation. By 27 years old I was the sports director for a regional sports network in a top ten TV market (Seattle), Why? Because in college I learned skills that I knew CNN needed. That got my foot in the door and the rest was up to me. Hope this helps - if you have other advice for Warren and his daughter please add it to the comments below, along with any questions you'd like us to cover in our next Sports Jobs Q&A!  

As a final note, I'd recommend that anyone interested in a career in the sports industry check out the Sports Career Game Plan -- a self-paced online course available right now.  Make your passion your career, Work In Sports!